Saarland 1948 - More Definitives

In a previous blog I studied the four stamps Albert Decaris designed and engraved for the 1948 Saarland definitive set of 13. This set was issued 1 April. For my quick run-down on the territory of Saarland, click HERE. Decaris designed all thirteen stamps in this set. As mentioned above four of these he engraved, the other nine of which he only designed. These nine stamps can be further broken down into four unique designs, each with its own engraver.

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The first design depicts clasped hands. The theme of reconstruction after the ravages of WWII runs through this entire set. This particular design suggests co-operation in the reconstruction process. The design was issued in three values. This design was engraved by Dufresne.

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The second design type depicts a worker. This man has a big smile on his face, suggesting happiness in his work. This design was used for two values. This design was engraved by Piel.

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The third design type depicts a young woman gathering wheat. This design was used for two values. I can't quite make out the engraver's name on these stamps...

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The fourth design type depicts a miner in a hard hat, ready to descend into the bowels of the earth. This design was also used for two values. This design was engraved by Cottet.

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Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Monaco 1953 - Goncourt Brothers

I am a writer and I am passionate about books. So I'm always on the look out for stamps relating to authors, writing and books. One of my stamp collections includes all things Sherlock Holmes. My pulse especially quickens when I come across engraved stamps that slot into these interests. Last night I came across an absolute beauty.

This truly gorgeous stamp was issued by Monaco on June 29, 1953 to commemorate the publication of the Journal des Goncourt, 1851-1896 written by the brothers Edmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt. This sibling writing duo collaborated on several novels, but they were perhaps best known for their diaries, which provide the reader with an intimate glimpse into the world of French literary society of the late 1800's.

The stamp was engraved by Pierre Gandon, the renowned French engraver. And he did a sterling job on this one. It is based on a book-plate for the journal, which was designed by Paul Gavarni. The etching for the book-plate was done by Jules Gancourt (I'd like to thank Natalie for providing me with information on the book-plate). The image on the stamp - and book-plate - depicts a hand, presumably belonging to one of the brothers, caressing the manuscript of the journal. There are two fingers on the manuscript, one for each brother. And each finger is pointing to the initial of one of the brothers. Two quills standing poised to be picked up and used to scribble a few insightful words and a row of books in the background add a creative feel to the image. All in all, a fantastic composition that will most certainly take pride of place in my collection.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Canada 1929 - Bluenose

The schooner Bluenose was launched in Nova Scotia on 27 March 1921. She was designed by William Roue as both a fishing and racing boat. Her racing career wasn't initially successful, losing her first two races. But then she came into her own, and over the next seven years she was undefeated. The Bluenose also worked hard as a fishing vessel. She won the largest catch of the season award several times. In the 1930's motorised vessels rendered fishing schooners obsolete. As a consequence, Bluenose was re-purposed as a freighter. It was in 1946 in this capacity that she ran aground on a reef in the West Indies with a hold full of bananas. She was sadly wrecked beyond repair and abandoned on the reef where she later sank. A sad ending for such an illustrious vessel.

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The 50c Bluenose stamp was issued in 1929 by Canada as part of the King George V "Scroll Issue" definitives. I may be biased, but I reckon this stamp is by far the best in this particular set. This truly gorgeous stamp was engraved by Harold Osborn. And what a superb job he did.

There are two schools of thought over what this stamp depicts. Some say the image illustrates the Bluenose ploughing ahead of a rival vessel, the American vessel, Columbia. While others say that that is not the case at all. They hold that the image is a montage of the Bluenose, depicting it from different angles from two different photographs by W.R. MacAskill in 1922 or 1923. So two Bluenoses on the same stamp! What do you think? I personally lean toward the belief that it is the Bluenose depicted twice, a form of old school motion capture shot of the Bluenose racing off Halifax. Perhaps the numbers 1 and 2 engraved on the mainsail of each vessel respectively is a clue to this.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Canada 1927 - 400th Anniversary of Confederation.

On 29 June 1927 Canada issued a stunning set of engraved stamps to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Canadian Confederacy. There are eight stamps in the set, which equates to far too many stamps to provide a detailed description of each. So in this blog, I'll introduce the set and provide the engravers - where known - and in later blogs I'll study each stamp individually. I'd like to thank Adrian of Stamp Engravers for engraver info on this series.

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The 1c orange depicts Sir John A MacDonald. The vignette of this stamp was engraved by Edwin H Gunn.

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The 2c green depicts the Fathers of Confederation. The vignette of this stamp was engraved by Edwin H Gunn.

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The 3c brown carmine depicts the Parliament Building in Ottawa. The vignette of this stamp was engraved by Harold Osborn.

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The 5c violet depicts Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The vignette of this stamp was engraved by Edwin H Gunn.

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The 12c dark blue depicts a Map of Canada. The vignette of this stamp was engraved by Edwin H Gunn.

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The following three stamps were initially going to be printed in July 26 1926 as an historical commemorative issue, but they were withheld and issued as a part of the Confederation set.

The 5c violet depicts Thomas d'Arcy McGee. This stamp was engraved by Elie Timothée Loizeaux.

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The 12c green depicts Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Sir John A. MacDonald. The portraits of this stamp were engraved by Edwin H Gunn.

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The 20c brown carmine depicts Robert Baldwin and Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. The portraits of this stamp were engraved by William Fraser Ford.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

France 1952 - Leonardo Da Vinci

On 11 May 1952 France issued a stamp celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was born 15 April 1452 in Vinci, a province of Florence. He is often seen by scholars as the "Universal Genius" or "Renaissance Man". I could go on for hours, discussing his many, many talents, but that's not really the purpose of this blog. And I feel if I try to summarise all that he accomplished I wouldn't be giving this amazing man the justice he deserves. So here's a link to his wiki page, which is quite good and well worth the read. Click HERE

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This superb stamp was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris.

This stamp is literally packed with detail. First and foremost is the stunning portrait of da Vinci. Decaris has captured the essence of the genius' soul in that penetrating gaze. And if you're a regular reader of my blogs you will know that I love engraved beards (hmm, could be an interesting thematic!) and this beard is one of the best I've seen.

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There is also plenty of the background detail to study in this stamp. To the right of Leonardo is his birthplace, Vinci. Vinci is a town in the province of Florence. It is surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of the region of Tuscany, amidst vineyards and olive groves. The area is still today what it was like in the time of Leonardo. One can imagine Leonardo as a child strolling about the hills, dreaming of the wonders of the world, his incredible mind formulating ways of constructing wondrous machines, revolutionary in nature.

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Moving across the stamp to Leonardo's left, the focus shifts to the Château d' Amboise in France. The Château became a royal residence in the 15th Century. It was confiscated by the monarchy, after its owner, Louis d' Ambois, was convicted of plotting against Louis XI. He was initially sentenced to be executed, but the king spared him and took his Château instead. Maybe the king just wanted the Château all along and contrived a plot to take it? Probably not, but it sounds good.

So what does this place have to do with Leonardo, I hear you ask. Well, Leonardo visited the Château in 1515 as the guest of King Francis I. During his stay, he lived and worked in the nearby Clos Luce, which was connected to the Château by an underground passage. How cool is that! It is believed that Leonardo may be buried in the chapel of Saint-Hurbert which adjoins the Château. Below is a photo of the chapel.

By Claudev8 [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Sweden 1977 - Owl

I just came across this beautiful stamp issued by Sweden on 8 September 1977. It was engraved by Martin Morck, who began his engraving career for Sweden. This was his first engraved stamp. And boy, what a ripper!!

Morck has engraved a lovely image of a Tawny Owl (my thanks to Adrian at Stamp Engravers for the owl info). Just look at the stunning artistry!!

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Saarland 1948 - Definitives

A couple of weeks ago I was doing some work on my Decaris stamp database when I came across a set of thirteen stamps issued in 1948 that he worked on for Saarland that I didn't have listed. I immediately went searching for a copy of these stamps. When it comes to engraved stamps I usually opt for mint stamps, purely so the whole image can be seen without being covered in any way by a postmark. I quickly found that I was going to have to compromise when it came to these stamps. Mint copes are rather expensive, so I expanded my search to used stamps. After a bit of looking I found a decent used set for a reasonable price.

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Now I'll have to admit that until I found the listing for these Saarland definitives I hadn't even heard of Saarland. So I did a bit of research. What I found was quite interesting... 

The region of Saarland did not exist until 1920, and at that time it was called The Territory of the Saar Basin. It was created as a result of a regulation of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. The territory was governed by the United Kingdom and France from 1920 to 1935. The territory was located in the southwest of Germany. It included parts of Prussia and parts of Bavaria (see the map below). Its capital was Saarbrucken. In 1935 a referendum was held and the inhabitants of the territory voted to rejoin Germany. 

In 1947 after WWII the Saar territory was once again taken from German control, and this time placed under the sole control of France. It was called the Saar Protectorate. The Saar Protectorate remained under French control until 1 January 1957 when it was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany.

During the two periods mentioned above the Saar territory had its own currency, the Saar franc, and its own postage stamps.

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On 1 April 1948 Saarland issued a set of 13 definitive stamps. Albert Decaris designed all thirteen stamps, four of which he engraved. In order to prevent this blog from being too long, I will only study the four stamps Decaris designed and engraved. In a future blog I'll study the nine other stamps in this set which he designed but did not engrave With that said, let's get to it...

The 10f dark blue...

This stamp depicts a colliery shaft head. A colliery is a coal mine and all the buildings associated with running the mine. The shaft head is the business end of a coal mining shaft. It contains the relevant mechanics to extract coal from the mine. 

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The 14f dark violet...

This stamp depicts smelting. Smelting is a practise whereby a base metal, such as silver, iron, copper etc., is extracted from its ore by heat and a reducing agent. The reducing agent is usually a type of carbon such as coke or charcoal, which in the heating process removes the oxygen from the ore leaving behind the elemental metal. Of course, this is just a basic summary. The actual process is just a tad more scientific, which is rather beyond the needs of this humble blog.

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The 20f henna brown...

This stamp depicts reconstruction. Presumably the reconstruction Decaris has illustrated is of buildings damaged or destroyed during World War II. If anyone out there has any further info on this stamp and what it depicts, I'd love to hear from you.

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The 50f blue black

The detail in this stamp is exquisite...

This stamp depicts the Mettlach Abbey Portal. Also known as the Old Abbey, this striking building was once a Benedictine cloister. Construction of the Abbey began in 1727 and it was completed some time in the second half of that century. But it was destined not to be an abbey for long. The monks fled the abbey in 1792 after the French Revolutionary Army penetrated the Saar. In 1802 the French declared the abbey a building of the state as a part of their move to secularize the nation. In 1809 the building was sold to Villeroy & Boch paper manufacturers. Below is an image of this amazing piece of architecture...

Until next time...

France 1948 - Luxembourg Palace Reissue

In 1948 France reissued the 1946 Luxembourg Palace stamp, designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. I did a study of the 1946 stamp in a previous blog. Click HERE to check it out.

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The Luxembourg Palace stamp was reissued in two new values and colours.

The 12f value was issued on 10 May and it was printed in red carmine (Yvert colours)

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The 15f value was issued on 10 December and it was printed in red. (Yvert colours)

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The original 1946 issue.

Until next time...

France 1951 - Georges Clemenceau

Georges Benjamin Clemenceu was born 28 September 1841 in Mouilleron-en-Pareds, France, He began his career as a political activist and writer, all the while studying to be a doctor. In 1861, at the age of 20, he co-founded with the some friends, the weekly newsletter entitled Le Travail. In 1862 he spent a 77 day stint in prison for distributing posters for a demonstration. These were the first signs of his radical nature. During the years 1862-1865, Clemenceau founded several literary magazines and he wrote many articles for these magazines. Moat of his articles attacked the imperial regime of Napoleon III. In 1965 he completed his studies and graduated as a doctor. In that same year, fearing the imperial regime's crack down on dissidents, he moved to the USA. In New York he opened a medical practice and met the woman who would become his wife. 

In 1870 he returned to Paris, and for the next 36 years rose through the French political ranks. In 1906 he became Prime Minister. He served for three years till 1909. Then in 1917, towards the end of World War I, he became Prime Minster for the second time. He advocated total victory over the German Empire, and he was one of the primary architects of the Treaty of Versailles. It was his rigid stance against the German Empire that earned him the nickname Le Tigre (The Tiger).  He died on 24 November 1929 after a long and illustrious career.

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On 12 November 1951, France issued a stamp with a face value of 15f commemorating this interesting French statesman. It was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. 

The dark, confronting nature of this stamp is striking. And the crisp, living detail highlight the burgeoning talent of Decaris. Just look at that moustache! One is also drawn to the eyes of the statesman. They suggest of an analytical, and perhaps slightly haunted, mind. This is a beautiful addition to Decaris' growing body of work.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

France 1951 - Stamp Day.

On 10 March 1951 France issued its annual Stamp Day stamp. It was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. In a previous blog I outlined the history of Stamp Day and looked at France's 1950 Stamp Day issue (also designed and engraved by Decaris) - click HERE to check out the blog.

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For the 1951 Stamp Day issue, Decaris chose a rather interesting subject. In the 1950 issue he portrayed a postman marching proudly down the street. For the 1951 issued he decided to focus on the process of sorting mail, the stage before the postman, as it were. The stamp has a face value of 12f with a 3f surcharge to be donated to the Red Cross.

This stamp really captures the organised chaos of a mail sorting room. Along the sides we see the mail sorting cubby holes receding into the distance. In the foregound a young man drags a bag laden with mail - either sorted or unsorted (take your pick) - through the sorting room. As a brilliant touch, Decaris has added the title of the stamp on the side of the bag Journee du Timbre 1951 or Stamp Day 1951. I love this stamp. And I think I like it more than  the 1950 Stamp Day issue...

So what is your favourite?

Until next time...

France 1949 - Trades

On 14 February 1949, France issued a set of four stamps showcasing some of the many trades that have been and, in some instances, continue to be, the life blood of the country. Two of the stamps in this set, the 3f+1f value and the 8f+4f value, were designed and engraved by Albert Decaris.

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The 3f + 1f value celebrates the French farmer. The 1f surcharge on this stamp went to the Red Cross. 

Farming is one of France's most important industries. in no small part due to the fact that the country is self-sufficient in food supplies. Farming in France ranges from cereal crops to beef, pork, and poultry to a range of fruit and vegetables. In the above stamp, Decaris has illustrated a farmer ploughing a field in an old tractor. 

Out of curiosity a had a bit of a look on the net to see if I could find a tractor that resembled the one here. This is what I found. It is, I think, pretty close. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a make for this particular vehicle. Anyone have any idea?

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The 8f + 4f value celebrates the hard-working miner. The 4f surcharge on this stamp went to the Red Cross.

The French have practised Coal Mining from as early as the 12th Century. But it wasn't until the 19th Century that coal mining really accelerated and many new mines were opened. The main areas for coal mining in France were located in the north-east in the Nord-Pas de Calais, in Lorraine, and in the Loire. And Lignite was mined in the south-east in Provence. In this stamp Decaris has beautifully depicted a robust miner wielding a pneumatic drill and showing the rock no mercy.

The drill used by the miner on the above stamp is similar to the real one in this image.

Until next time...

Southern Rhodesia 1953

Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British colony now known as Zimbabwe. Over the years it has undergone numerous name changes. For more information click HERE

On 31 August 1953 Southern Rhodesia issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. This lovely set consisted of 14 stamps, on unwatermarked paper. This series was recess-printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co (except the 4d stamp, which had a typography vignette). In this blog I'll focus on the first four stamps of the set.

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The ½d grey-green and claret...

The focus of this stamp is the sable antelope. The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) lives in the wooded savannah areas of East Africa and the southern parts of Africa. The sable antelope is a large species. They can grow as tall as 1.4m. They have impressive antlers that can grow as high as 1.1m. Sadly, their lovely antlers have become prized trophies for hunters. This combined with the sable antelope's habitat being slowly eaten by farming has reduced their numbers considerably.

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The 1d green and brown... 

The focus of this stamp is the industry of tobacco growing. According to an article in Economic Geographic (July 1952 vol. 28, no. 3) the tobacco industry in Southern Rhodesia boomed after WWII. By 1950, a few years before this series was issued, tobacco had surpassed gold as the premier export of Southern Rhodesia. It is, therefore, quite appropriate that the tobacco industry be depicted on a stamp of the region...

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The 2d deep chestnut & reddish violet... 

The focus of this stamp is Rhodes' Grave. Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 - 26 March 1902) was born in England. He was a mining magnate who spent most of his time in South Africa. He founded the company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds. Rhodes, A believer in British colonialism, was the founder of the southern Africa territory that became known as Rhodesia, in his honour, in 1895. Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, aged 48. After his death, the government arranged for his body to be taken by train to Rhodesia where he was laid to rest at World's View, a hilltop just south of Bulawayo. His grave site is now a part of the Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe which was at the time of his death, Rhodesia.

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The 3d chocolate & rose-red... 

The focus of this stamp is a farm worker. Tobacco and cotton were the dominant farming industries in Southern Rhodesia. It was these industries that led to a boom in immigration to the colony in the 1920's. Unfortunately many farm workers were considered no better than slaves at this time. The politically turbulent history of this colony is beyond the scope of this humble article. The following ARTICLE may be of some interest to those looking for some further reading. And you may also wish to check out this PAGE

Until next time . . .

Stay Engraver Crazy!!

France 1947 - Saint Julien Cathedral

Saint Julien Cathedral, dedicated to a saint of that name, is a catholic cathedral, located in Le Mans, France. The Cathedral's namesake, Saint Julien of Le Mans, was the city's first Bishop. In the 4th Century, he established Christianity in the area.

Construction of the cathedral commenced in the 6th Century and continued through to the 14th Century. The building is a homage to Gothic architecture, and it features amazing stained glass windows and splendid bifurcated flying buttresses, which I will come back to in a bit.

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On 6 January 1947, France issued a set of five stamps celebrating some of its great cathedrals. The Saint Julien Cathedral stamp was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. It has a 6f face value with a 4f surcharge for the benefit of the French Mutual. This is a sterling stamp with fine, crisp detail that belies the immense scale and Gothic beauty of the building.

One of the details I love on this stamp is the depiction of the flying buttress detail. They are awesome and worth a loser look...

Until next time...

France 1950 - Stamp Day

In 1935 at the meeting of the International Federation of Philately (FIP) in Brussels it was proposed that a Stamp Day be created. The idea being that each country that was a member of the FIP issue their own unique stamp on a certain day of the year. The project was approved, but it wasn't until 1944 that the first stamps for Stamp Day were issued.

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In 1950, Albert Decaris designed and engraved France's Stamp Day issue. The stamp was released for sale on 11 March. The face value was 12f with a 3f surcharge that went to the French Red Cross.

If this stamp doesn't make one wish to be a postman, I don't think anything will. Decaris has engraved this postman, in my eyes at least, as some kind of superhero. The flowing cape and the powerful stride combine to suggest this postman is eating up the miles on a quest to deliver his mail in record time. I rather like this design. It is whimsical, bright, and contains a sense of adventure. Now, how does one become a postman?!

Until next time...